Peabody Energy Corporation was a leading decliner within the metals & mining industry, falling $2.80 (-9.6%) to $26.24 on heavy volume.

Editor's Note: TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model.

Peabody Energy Corporation ( BTU) pushed the Metals & Mining industry lower today making it today's featured Metals & Mining laggard. The industry as a whole closed the day down 2.1%. By the end of trading, Peabody Energy Corporation fell $2.80 (-9.6%) to $26.24 on heavy volume. Throughout the day, 21.7 million shares of Peabody Energy Corporation exchanged hands as compared to its average daily volume of 8.9 million shares. The stock ranged in price between $25.96-$27.40 after having opened the day at $26.17 as compared to the previous trading day's close of $29.04. Other companies within the Metals & Mining industry that declined today were: James River Coal Company ( JRCC), down 30%, China Shen Zhou Mining & Resources ( SHZ), down 13.8%, Arch Coal ( ACI), down 12.5%, and Alpha Natural Resources ( ANR), down 12.2%.

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Peabody Energy Corporation engages in the mining of coal. It mines, prepares, and sells thermal coal to electric utilities and metallurgical coal to industrial customers. Peabody Energy Corporation has a market cap of $7.65 billion and is part of the basic materials sector. The company has a P/E ratio of 9.8, below the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Shares are down 12.3% year to date as of the close of trading on Tuesday. Currently there are 14 analysts that rate Peabody Energy Corporation a buy, two analysts rate it a sell, and four rate it a hold.

TheStreet Ratings rates Peabody Energy Corporation as a hold. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth and attractive valuation levels. However, as a counter to these strengths, we also find weaknesses including deteriorating net income, generally higher debt management risk and disappointing return on equity.